Former UW Pharmacy School Dean
Donald T. Witiak Dies

Donald T. Witiak

Professor of pharmacy Donald T. Witiak, 62, former dean of the School of Pharmacy, died May 22 at UW Hospital and Clinics. The cause was complications related to a stroke he suffered May 15.

Witiak became the seventh dean of the school in 1993. He was instrumental in guiding the effort to raise money for a new School of Pharmacy building to be located on the west end of the UW–Madison campus. Ground-breaking for the $45 million structure, $15 million of which was raised through the school, took place May 8.

“Don’s death is a loss not only to his family but to the entire science community at UW–Madison,” said Melvin Weinswig, dean of the school. “He was an outstanding researcher whose many talents were recognized here as well as at Ohio State University and other great research centers.”

In 1995 Witiak stepped down as dean of pharmacy to devote full-time attention to his research efforts. A medicinal chemist by training, he was deeply involved in the design and development of new drugs to treat cancer.

Born in Milwaukee, Witiak graduated from West Allis Central High School in 1954. He attended UW-Milwaukee as a freshman and earned B.S. and Ph.D. degrees from UW–Madison.

He spent six years on the University of Iowa faculty before joining the Ohio State University in 1967. At OSU he was a professor of medicinal chemistry and pharmacognosy, and director for basic research at OSU’s Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Witiak was a fellow of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and the American Pharmaceutical Association’s Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences. He was a member of the editorial boards of the European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry and the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. He was chair and councilor in the American Chemical Society’s Division of Medicinal Chemistry.

During Witiak’s tenure as dean, the school also began detailed planning to change its pharmacist training curriculum from the bachelor of science degree to the Pharm. D. degree. The school’s formal switch to the new professional degree, which parallels the national trend, occurred last fall.

Witiak is survived by his wife, Deanne, of Madison, and two children, Mark Witiak, of Mount Vernon, OH., and Elizabeth Horn, of Columbus, OH.

A memorial service will be held at Pres House on campus (731 State St.) at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, May 26.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that memorial gifts be made to the UW Foundation or Ohio State Foundation in his name to be used for Basic Cancer Research.